Hello everyone,

No longer just fillers! Big stuff happens. That's all you get, go read the chapter. As always there is an authors note at the bottom.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

The Burning Plains lives up to its name. I thought as I looked across the cracked fields below me.

The Varden had camped on a hill that overlooked where the battle would inevitably take place. The imperial army had yet to be seen, but we knew they were coming, our scouts all parroted the same information.

"What are you thinking about?" Nasuada said from beside me.

Elva stood over to the side of us, playing in the grass. She was now a permanent companion of Nasuada's, a bodyguard really. There was an assasination attempt on our leader on the road and it was foiled by little Elva, earning herself a position of relative power and all of the food she could eat, which is a lot.

"All the lives we will condemn soon." I answered truthfully. "If not our own men, the boys Galbatorix has scripted and trapped into fighting a war."

"It is a war Roran. We do what we must, it is why we stand here, and they…" She said pointing to our soldiers still setting up camp. "Follow our lead. We do what they can't, or won't."

"Aye, we do what we must." Was all I could say while my emotions raged inside.

Stronghammer. They call me, not Roran the builder, not Roran the wise, not Roran the great. Stronghammer, for my capacity to kill, and to lead.

It'll take me forever to change my legend. I said to myself as I continued my thought process.

And a legend it is, already. They may call me 'Stronghammer' to my face, but they whisper 'Warlord' and 'Sorcerer' behind my back, afraid of my deeds and my capabilities in magic. I am too proficient in death and destruction apparently. My physical abilities don't help at all, nor do the spars that Vanir and I display without weapons. Everyone knows that I can deal death with my hands or my hammer, it is not a secret.

I'm pretty sure Eragon didn't have to deal with this. I told myself as I thought back to the books I read as a child years ago, before I was brought into this word.

Probably because he is a rider, they're supposed to have out of this world abilities, not an ordinary man.

"My Lady. Stonghammer." I heard from behind me. I turned around to see the leader of Nasuada's bodyguards.

"We just received word, Elves have arrived." He told us that when he had our attention.

"How many?" I spoke up.

"Fourteen elves and the Elder." He answered quickly.

"The Elder?" Nasuada asked before I could.

Brom. My thought supplied. He's not supposed to be here, that wasn't the plan.

"Brom, my lady."

Fancy nickname. I couldn't help but think and admire the title given to him. And Appropriate, for humans at least.

Angela would beg to differ. Shadowcat commented from her place at my legs, rubbing herself against them. Old hag.

So would us elves. Vanir chimed in from his seat in the shade off to the side of us. I think Brom and I are close in age.

"How long until they arrive." Nasuada asked the guard as we turned back around and looked towards the fiery plains in front of us.

"Not long." An angelic male voice cried out from behind us. I recognized it immediately. Glenwing.

His grey hair met my vision first as he ran around the corner, springing along gracefully like a feline might, laughing all the way.

A smile split mine and Vanir's face as we met him halfway. I embraced him first, and then brought Vanir into our extremely manly hug. Our joy at seeing each other was contagious because soon, everyone was wearing smiles and laughing at our antics.

"Save some of that for the rest of us, Stronghammer."

I turned and was immediately met by Raven black hair and emerald eyes. Arya.

I thought about embracing her there but I couldn't pass up on such an opportunity to tease, so instead my face froze and I put a mask on for my joke.

"I apologize for our idiocy, Drottningu." I said to her in the ancient language.

Everyone looked at me then, puzzled by my response before they started laughing. Her eyes narrowed and her eyebrows almost touched each other. Ha what a fierce look.

"I jest of course." I said as I swept her up in a hug. Her laugh was also contagious.

I finally caught sight of Brom as I sat Arya down and couldn't help but look at his appearance before running to him. He had less lines on his face than the last time I saw him and he was wearing a smile. He rarely smiles.

"What have they been feeding you in Ellesmera, Brom?" I asked as he approached, reacting to his appearance.

He didn't respond to the question. "It's good to see you too Roran."

I embraced him in a hug after that. Everyone gets hugs. I didn't ask him any questions about why he wasn't with the elves as was our plan from the beginning. He wanted to save Oromis, more than anyone else, I think. That's the reason I didn't expect him to come back.

Something must have happened.

I turned around again and was met with the same twelve spellcasters that had accompanied us on our mad dash to escort Eragon to the Varden. I had never been especially close with any of them, most of them were some of the oldest and most powerful members of the race.

It's just hard for us to relate with anything, honestly.

Blodhgarm made a move before I could and touched his two fingers to his lips, the others followed his lead. I reflected the motion and said the traditional greeting amongst the elves.

"Stronghammer, it is good to see you again." Blodhgarm said for himself and the rest of the members.

"I'm happy you all got here so soon. Any word on when Eragon will arrive?" I asked everyone more than Blodhgarm.

Brom was the one who answered. "He left Ellesmera this morning. Should be here in a few days."

"Good." I told him before turning back to Nasuada. "I'll set them up with Du Gata Vrangr, will you need me for the rest of the day?" I asked making plans for the night in my head.

"No, Stronghammer. Enjoy the night with your friends. We will reconvene in the morning."

It's not going to be all fun. I thought to myself.

"Come, everyone. Let me show you to your tents." I said knowing that they didn't actually have any right now.

As we walked, Vanir and the elves caught up and traded stories about what has been going on. Brom and I walked side by side without speaking for a while, until I decided to end our silence.

"I have an apprentice." I started.

He looked at me then, prompting me to continue.

"His name is Carn. Good kid. Takes to magic like I did, maybe faster."

"You're worried for him?" Brom asked sensing my mood.

"Yes." I whispered. "It's war."

"Is he ready?" Brom asked again.

"Are any of us?" I threw back at him too quickly.

"Why are you here, Roran?"

"To save lives." I once again answered quickly, my purpose hasn't ever been in question.

"He didn't fare so well did he?" Brom asked me inquiring to Carn's fate in the books.

"He died, protecting me from an enemy mage. There was no hint as to his true talent though." I answered truthfully about the books representation of Carn.

"He is much further along now. Much more powerful. And talented with the sword, it'll take him years to match you or Eragon in skill but against normal soldiers, there is no contest." I told him, catching him up with Carn's skills.

"Then what is the problem, Roran?" Brom asked eyebrows scrunched together, trying to unravel the puzzle I was presenting.

"I want to change him, like we did to myself." I finally told him.

I expected judging eyes. I made the changes to myself, I sang the words and directed the magic. Sure other people were there to help guide me but in the end I didn't need it. It is something else entirely to force changes onto another person's body, because you take the chances of altering their mind to fit your enhancements. There is more risk involved in the spell than there was with me.

Brom's eyes didn't accuse me of anything, if anything they pitied me. "Have you told him the process, what it does?" He asked.

"Aye, he knows almost as well as I did." I answered honestly.

"Then we will do it."

"Tonight, I won't let him go into battle otherwise."

"Agreed, and he needs time to adjust. More time than we have to give him." Brom answered adding both of our thoughts and speaking them.

I thought our conversation over, Brom obviously had different plans.

"You have always had trouble changing things, why is it so hard for you to trust yourself as others trust you? Throw away the world you think this is, and embrace the world as it really is, Roran." Brom said out of nowhere. "There are no more books. The only books that matter are the ones that will be written of this war, whether we win or lose. Everything is different now, Roran. It's time you shed yourself of that burden, we have strayed too far from the path for it to be relevant. It's time to trust yourself, son."

I didn't say anything to that. How could I? He broke me down with those few sentences, and simultaneously built me back up. I hate it when he does that.

Finally, I thought of some type of defense. "The fate of the races rests in my hands, the books are my greatest tool."

"No, son." Brom replied quickly pointing all around us at the bustling soldiers, the coordination and brotherhood they displayed. "These are your greatest tools." He finished by pointed at my heart.

How corny. I couldn't help but think as I tried to process what he is telling me.

He's right. My mind supplied as I thought about the mistakes I've made because of my arrogance of my foreknowledge. It was the reason that I lost Murtagh and Ajihad, I didn't think my enemies would adapt and it made me complacent. Now I'm not sure if the laughing dead would ever happen during this war, anything could happen.

It is now open war, and assuming things would be the same as the books would be folly. Everything is different.

I nodded to Brom after that, not knowing how to respond. He seemed to think the lesson stuck because he reached out and hugged me after that.

"Good. Now, there are some things you need to know." He started as we broke apart. "I finally told Eragon. Needless to say, he was angry at first. Didn't speak to me for a few days before he came around. Claims that he understands now."

"That's good. Garrow was a good replacement but it's always good for a son to know his real father." I responded.

"Aye, and as to the reason to why I'm here and not with my master, I know you're curious." Brom continued. "He said that he accepted his death. 'Riders have always been warriors, Brom. I will not be the first to elf and rider to die of old age since the binding.' He told me." Tears were in his eyes now. "Told me to look after the next generation, and forbade me to die with him." He fought them back before they fell down his face.

"Every man deserves to choose his death, Brom. He's just lucky enough to see it coming." I said after a moment of processing what he was telling me.

"It's suicide!" He responded back to me with a little bite in his voice.

"Maybe…"

It's different, but I can see why he would think that. I truly could, but I could also see why Oromis wanted it this way. The riders of old don't need to influence this new era. No more hoarding knowledge, no more pulling strings from the shadows. That and I would also want to go in a blaze of glory, instead of making my loved ones watch me wither away into dust.

We had been separate from the elves for a while now, standing inside my tent as we caught each other up with the goings on of each side.

He was about to leave my tent to go rest before Carn's transformation when I decided to ask him a question.

"Where is Faolin?" I asked, bringing up a topic I wanted to know since I didn't see him.

His eyes caught a sad look in his eyes before he answered.

"That is not my tale to tell."

I walked with purpose towards, leading my party from the cluster of tents and thousands of people. There is a clump of trees a couple of miles from where we were camped at that would serve my purposes well.

I was an odd addition to the Burning plains. Of course the trees were dead, so close to the heat and flames underneath the ground. But it would serve its purpose well enough.

My closest friends followed me, Arya, Vanir, Glenwing, Brom, Shadowcat, Angela, Solembum, and finally Carn. Angela was waiting for us at the edge of the camp and claimed that the earth was talking to her, and she didn't want to miss whatever it is that we are doing. I took it in stride and told them to keep up.

Night had fallen sometime ago, I didn't to broadcast what was happening to the army after all.

We arrived at the destination quickly and immediately words of power were spoken as wards were put up around us, I did not want someone to be able to replicate the feat to be honest. And I didn't trust Galbatorix to be scrying the lands anyway.

I found a clear patch of grass and sat down in a meditative pose, I gestured Carn to do the same. "Clear your mind, nothing can interrupt this."

He didn't say anything, instead we sat there and I reached my mind out to his, he let me in without a problem. He sense my intentions immediately but I was too fast.

"Sleep." I spoke and he obeyed. I caught him as he fell backwards and laid him down flat.

My mind reached out to my companions and quickly we were one, all of us focused. I reached into the power of my necklace and unintentionally showed everyone of the power stored there. I heard the intake of breaths from my friends around me and realized my mistake. They had seen massive amounts of power before but not from someone so young.

It would take a normal person decades to amass the amount of power that had, and elves never keep it all in one place. What if you lost it or the enemy found it? It is too great a risk.

I was confident in my warding, that no one would be able to take energy from it without my permission.

Focus. I snapped to all of them, I don't need the distraction that their reactions cause. I took a moment, as did they to collect myself.

Then I began to sing.

I heard the rumble in the air before I saw them. Soon the rumble became thumps. Liquid rippled in barrels and cups of soldiers preparing for lunch.

My mind reached out in all directions and I felt her presence before I felt his. She recognized me at the same time.

Saphira. I spoke to her as she granted me access to her mind. It was even more magical than before she left. It gained depth, and knowledge.

Stronghammer. She responded as another mind, familiar but alien at the same time, joined ours.

Eragon. I said broadcasting my happiness at his arrival.

Roran! He practically shouted in joy.

I ran out of my tent then, to find that Vanir and Arya felt the disturbance as well, but hadn't reached out to figure out who it was.

Then she broke through the clouds, easily twice, maybe three times as big as the last time I saw her.

She announced her presence with a roar that rattled all of our chests and scared the thousands of soldiers on the ground before they looked up, seeing the symbol of freedom.

A flurry of activity happened all at once as people scrambled out of the tents into the campsite to see what the disturbance was.

Looks of awe graced the faces of people as we walked the direction she flown off to land. I was flanked by my normal entourage as we headed in that direction.

It wasn't very hard to find considering the crowd that had formed around the dragon and rider. The sea of people parted once they saw who I was, I was a common face to them considering there wasn't a part of the army I haven't had an influence on.

I approached from the left side of the crowd and once I got through I could see Nasuada had beaten me to the greeting. I ignored all of that and started towards him with purpose. I was soon noticed as Nasuada's guards stepped to block my path but then moved as they realized who I was.

Eragon noticed me then also, he had a smile on his face but he did not move forward, instead he waited for me to come to him. So I did and soon I embraced him in a hug.

I have been doing that a lot. I couldn't help but think to myself.

Before I said anything to him I turned to the crowd.

"Shadeslayer has returned!"

A roar of 'Shadeslayer' answered me.

It was later that night that I finally got Eragon alone, after Nasuada and Orrin had their way with him. We were in his tent that had been hastily erected next to mine once news of his arrival spread. It was now nightfall.

His hair was still brown and kept short, he was clean shaven also, one of the requirements of Oromis if i remember correctly. His face had changed though.

He was always handsome, Selena and Brom were both considered very attractive people in their primes, after all. I doubt Morzan would have given her a shot otherwise. Even my own mother had been beautiful and Garrow had a rugged handsomeness to him. It ran in the family.

Now his face was sharper, cheekbones tried their best to imitate the elves beauty, lips fuller and his jaw sharper but slightly narrower than before he left. The last clue to what happened at the Agaeti Blodhren was the pointed ears that normally comes from centuries of magic use as riders. He gained all of it in a night.

Finally after nearly an hour of catching up and him telling me of the training that Oromis and Glaedr put them through, Ellesmera, the Agaeti Blodhren, Brom being his father, and his continuing infatuation with Arya did we talk about the future.

"They offered me command of Du Gata Vrangr." Eragon spoke.

That took me by surprise, and it stung my pride a little but I didn't let it show and replied as honestly as I could.

"That's good."

"I told them I would think about it." He said almost immediately. "If you don't want me to take it, then I won't. I don't think I could do a better job anyway."

"You could do just as good a job, I am sure of it." I told him. "Most of the work is done anyway, they just need practice with the Ancient Language at this point. They have come a long way in a short time, much like you."

"They wouldn't respect me like they do you." He replied to that.

I had to concede that point because I knew he was right. "No, they wouldn't, not immediately, but given time, they would."

"Nasuada thinks I do not see the politics does she?" Eragon asked me then.

"Do you see it?" I ask curious.

"People whisper the name Stronghammer more than they do Shadeslayer, brother. She thinks you have too much power." He said.

"How do you know that? You have been here less than twelve hours."

"Her guards aren't very good at protecting their minds, neither is the rest of the army." He responded.

"Impressive, scanning all of those minds." I told him actually impressed.

"Saphira did all of the work, actually." Eragon admitted with a grin.

I couldn't help but laugh at that. "Yes, Nasuada thinks that I could take leadership if I wanted. She is afraid of when this is all over." I said with a wave of my hand signaling the war. "She proposed actually, to secure herself as leader and eventually Queen."

"You said no?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

I was almost offended. "I have no wish for that, Eragon."

He narrowed his eyes then. "You have always sought power Roran, ever since you left us that day." Eragon told me referencing the day I started my journey with Brom, it felt like so long ago.

"I sought power for a reason, I never sought the crown." I told him switching to the Ancient Language, to make a point.

He looked away then, satisfied with the answer. I know he wanted to ask me what the reason was, the reason I left that day with Brom, leaving him all alone.

He's no longer a boy. I thought to myself as I realized I was being interrogated by my own family.

Oromis worries about me also. I am trying to help all of these fucking fools and I get treated like a traitor. Everything I have done is for someone else, never for myself. I thought as my anger got the best of me.

I made a decision then and was about to speak before he beat me to it.

"I will take leadership." He stated out of the blue, contradicting his earlier thoughts. "It's more than just a power move Roran. The Varden needs a symbol, I know you understand, I thought I saw it at first when she offered it but I didn't."

I knew this would happen, neither of us really have a choice. "I have no choice." Eragon said eventually.

"I know, baby brother, I know." I told him. I got up to leave then and headed back to my tent. As soon as I crossed the threshold into it I stopped, frozen as I thought.

My mind was racing a thousand miles a minute.

They do not trust me. I thought as I put the pieces together.

Now it made sense as to why Saphira had yet to go hunting, instead she lay right outside of Eragon's tent, ready to intervene if I got angry and lashed out.

And they think of me a traitor.

I continued to think as I assembled the puzzle, piece by piece. No, they think of me as a revolutionary, not a traitor. They don't agree with my views on magic.

It all made sense, the questions Nasuada would ask me when she called me to her tent. She got close to me and tried to bring me over to her side. Then I told her of my plans with our race, with magic, and she got scared. So she reached out to her allies, once she felt threatened. It only grew once I made changes to her army, and everyone knew who was responsible, so she proposed while conspiring against me.

But how did she get in contact with the elves. I asked myself and my brain supplied the answer.

Angela.

Vanir is too loyal, that has never been questioned. I don't think Brom knows either, there is no way he would allow any of this, he knows me too well. Shadowcat has never like Angela, only respected her. Glenwing and Arya

And any elf could travel outside the wards every once in a while and plan with Nasuada. I continued to think.

No, not any elf. One who had their loyalty to the crown tattooed on their body, Faolin.

Faolin was an adult elf, definitely above three hundred years old. Respected for his skill with a blade and power with magic.

Is that why he is not here, they fear I would find out. Or did Arya refuse to let him come out of loyalty to me? Or are they all in on it. I asked myself feeling betrayed.

And now Angela knows of my ability to change our bodies, to make us equal to the elves. My mind continued to understand the plot against me.

Does Hrothgar know? Of course he does, that's why he gave me Fram. He saw my legend before they did. Does he approve? Is that why he did that. Of course he does, his race has been in the elves shadow for forever.

Humans were the start of all of the elves problems. They shared the land with the other races and the dragons before we sailed here and began settling the rest of the land that they had yet to fill out, laying claim to it. Then the rider war happened, and it was caused by a human.

The elves are dying, like the dragons died because they tied themselves to each other, neither race can flourish without the other. That's why there are so few elves born, without the dragons they will die.

Then another human comes along with knowledge of the future and the next rider. No they trusted me then. This is all happened before Farthen Dur, that's why the elf army wasn't there, not politics.

They hoped Eragon would gain his legend and surpass me at the battle, which would have happened if not for Hrothgar's gift and dubbing me savior of Farthen Dur and 'Stronghammer'.

That's when the winds shifted. I thought to myself as I made the discovery.

Arya isn't in on it. Islanzadi would never had let her come if she was. I thought to myself. No, Arya was forbidden to come, but she has always acted independently from her mother. Her and Glenwing came separately. That's another reason for the twelve spellcasters cold greeting the other day.

I broke out of my thoughts as a shadow flickered under the flap of my closed tent. I never light a candle before I went to bed and I hadn't tonight when I returned from Eragon's tent. I stepped into the shadows of my tent, beside the door as I waited on whoever it was to make a move.

I never kept wards on my tent because I always kept my personal wards up, tied to my necklace. The tent would just be a waste of power after all. Normally I welcomed anyone to try to kill me but I had a bad feeling about this one.

A knife cut the top rope, connecting my tent's flap to the pole that kept it closed. I prayed it wasn't someone I knew coming to kill me, I prayed it was a spy of Galbatorix's instead, that it was just a coincidence.

In stepped one man, dagger attached to the back of his hip horizontally like I always carried my own.

I moved without holding anything back, now that the identity of my attacker was known. I went to grab his neck with my arms, to not to kill him.

He reacted quickly and soon I sidestepped a slash of the dagger.

Fast.

I wasted no time in grabbing the arm and kneeing the attacker in the stomach. He ate the powerful knee and dropped the dagger. It fell to the floor while he twisted out of my grip.

His leg swung with the momentum but I knew it was coming and latched onto it. Then we were on the ground and I had him. It took me no time to get behind him and my arms were around his neck.

His breaths became shallower and then there was a pain in my side, the dagger he dropped stuck there, right beneath my right side and cutting seven inches deep. I got angry then and squeezed tighter and the blood flow to his head was cut.

His hand dropped with a thud. I let go and checked his pulse.

Still alive? Good. I thought to myself as I ripped the mask with a red handprint on it off his face.

A face that I had seen nearly everyday since the Battle of Farthen Dur peered out at me, unconscious. My heart wrenched, the pain greater than the dagger at my side as I said his name.

"Carn."

A/N: AAAAANNNNNDDDDD BIG REVEAL!

Conspiracy against Roran is now known! Did he think the changes he was planning on making wouldn't have consequences? Should have kept his ideas to himself, I guess.

Who guessed the attacker? Did anyone think it was someone else? Is Arya against him? What about his other 'friends'?

Let's talk about all of this in the reviews!